Turbine drill bit



J. A. ZUBLIN 2,184,068

TURBINE DRILL BIT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 24, 1959 gr vug/wfo'r/ Jhw A. Z054 pv J. A. ZUBLIN TURBINE DRILL BIT Dec. 19, 1939.

Filed March 24, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z] r vuc/wfo'p JOHN A. Z054 11v,

atented Dec. 19, 1939 'NlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,184,068. TURBINE DRILL BIT John A. Zublin, Los Angeles, Calif. Application March 24, 1939, Serial No. 263,872

19 Claims. (01. 255-71) This inventionrelates to drilling tools, and issuing from the nozzles forming part of a more particularly to tools used in the rotary drill bit. drilling of bore holes, such as oil wells. In its It is a further object of the invention to progeneral aspects, the invention is directed to fluid vide a turbine typ of drill bill of Simpler noperated drill bits of the characters described st let t an ere of e l ed W ch can 5 and claimed in my copending application, Fluid be manufactured at lesser cost. operated drilling bits, Serial No. 219,356, filed This invention pos e m ny t r van- July 15, 1938; Combined fluid and rotary driven tages and has other objects that will become apdriiling bits," Serial No. 219,357, filed July 15, parent from a considerationof one embodiment in 1938; Fluid operated rotary drilling bits, Serial of the invention. For'this p p a form is No. 227,277, filed August 29, 1938, now Patent shown in the drawings accompa y d form- No. 2,154,553, granted April 18, 1939; and Fluid ins part of t e p s t sp fi at which operated drilling tools, Serial No. 227,279, filed cd ment will now e e ri e in t ill August 29, 1938. In its specific. constructional a g' the en a Principles of the nve t ondetails, the present invention is more closely However, it is .to be understood that this de- 15 allied with the second and third mentioned aptailed description is not to be taken in a limited plieatiung. sense, sincethe scope of the invention is best It is a general object of this invention to defined by' thelappended claims. provide an improved roller drill bit of the fluid Referring tothe drawings: I operated type, Figure 1 is an elevation of a drill bit with its 20 Another object of the invention is to provide a ewer po tion s ow i ec t e generally fluid operated drill bit capable of developing 9. along the line l--I of Figure 2; greater torque and horsepower. Figure 2 is a partially sectional view of the A further object of the invention is to -prodrill bit, taken gen ral along the l e vide a turbine type of drill bit having an im of Figure proved blade design. Figure 3 ,is a combined section of the turbine The invention also contemplates a turbine Wheel d l dea s See along he line 3-3 of type of drill bit in which the exhaust fluid is Figure 4; d

directed against the roller cutters to clean them Figure 4 is an enlarged side elevation of a 39 of adhering matter, the fluid preferably being a ent of t e ur ne Wheela directed substantially longitudinally of the cutn ene a t drill bit udes a lower cutter teeth and having a tangential thrust comting Por A and an upper reaming portion ponent urging rotation of each cutter in the B. t s ner Combination being described and same direction as induced by its contact with claimed in my Patents ,5 and the formation. 2,151,545, granted March 21, 1939. 35

It is a further object of the invention to pro: The lower portion A .of the bit includes a vide a turbine type of drill bit capable of proplurality of depending legs I I, I2 extending 'from ducing a turbulent action of the fluid at the botthe shank body II), the upper end of which carries tom of the hole to keep it free from cuttings. the usual threaded pin I3 for connecting the in This object is preferably attained by creating the drill bit with a string of drill pipe (not shown). 40f

turbulence through the agency of turbine blades One of the legs II has formed integrally there- Z or impellers forming part of the bit. v with a bearing supporting member I4 adapted to i Still another object of the invention is to carry the cutter assembly I5, to be described provide a turbine type of drill bit in which end hereafter. The end of the bearing supporting thrusts are counteracted by the manner in which member is provided with a reduced extension I6 45 fluid acts upon the turbine blades. fitting into a bore I1 formed in the leg I2 of the Yet another object of the invention is to shank, which leg, after the cutter assembly has eliminate the erosive action of impelling fluid been placed on the bearing supportingmember, on the roller cutters of a turbine type of drill bit can be-welded at its upper end I21; to the shank W by eliminating the direct application of driving body proper and at its lower region I2b to the eflort to those cutters. reduced extension I6. Another object of the invention is to stagger The cutter assembly l5 includes a cutter carthe lines of action of a plurality of nozzles upon rler I8 provided with a plurality of circumturbine blades so as to distribute erosive wear ferentially spaced slots I9 bridged by hearing W and decrease interference between the fluid jets pins 20 fitting in holes 2! in the side members 22, 23 of the carrier, with welding material 24 integrating the pins to the carrier. Each pin 23 carries a formation contacting roller 25.

The carrier 18 is provided with a plurality of ball bearing raceways 26 in an inner bore, which are adapted to cooperate with an inner bearing race 21 containing complementary toric raceways 28. Between the raceways are provided balls 29 which will serve to transmit bearing loads' between the carrier and inner race. The

. balls can be placed in their respective raceways i are inserted into the bores, serving to prevent respect to the bearing supporting member.

the balls from falling from the raceways while at the same time providing a substantially continuous path on which the balls can roll as the carrier rotates. The lower portion 33 of each button is made rectangular in shape so as to be capable of riding in' a keyway 34 formed in the bearing supporting member l4. .and thus serving to lock the inner race from rotating with The general cutter organization and bearing assembly j st described forms the subject matter of my copending application Compact roller drilling bits," Serial No. 191,622, flied February 21, 1938. 1

The upper part B of the drilling tool constitutes a reamer, described in detail and claimed in my copending application Reamer," Serial No. 227,278, flled August 29, 1938 now Patent No.

2,156,444, granted May 2, 19 For e P p of this application it is sumcient to merely call attention to the reamer roller cutters 35 rotatably mounted on the bearing supporting pins '36 welded to the plates 31 which, in turn, are welded to the shank Ill. The cutters 35 are kept free from cuttings by jets of fluid issuing through the nozzles 38 communicating with the passageway 38 in the shank.

This invention contemplates the operation of the drilling bit through the placing of the prime mover mechanism in the bit itself, so as to obviate the need for transmitting the entire driving efl'ort from the surface of the bore being produced through a long and relatively flexible string of drill pipe.

This prime mover mechanism is a hydraulic turbine, ,the rotor 40 of which is preferably formed integrally with the carrier I8 so that fluid under pressure passing through nozzles 4|,

4| communicating with the'shank passageway 33 can act upon the rotor blades 42, 43 and produce rotation of the carrier on its main bearing support about the axis :s-a: of the carrier. This rotation will be imparted to the roller cutters 25 by virtue of their reaction with the formation.

:c-arin order that a rolling action of the cutters onthe formation can be obtained for effective production of a bore of the required diameter.

The cutters can assume various shapes, the

speciflc= embodiment disclosed in the drawings being both discs and toothed rollers. The latter can be formed with straight and inclined teeth 4 "to provide a hydraulic turbine of the combined radial, axial and tangential types. The velocity a counter-balancing eifect of the end thrusts on o Windage and eddying losses are decreased by These cutters are preferablymounted on the carrier with their 'respective*'-rotational axes parallel to the main bearing and carrier axis energy of the fluid leaving the nozzles will exert a turning effort on the carrier or wheel by reason of fluid impact with the blades.

More speciflcally, a plurality of nozzles 4|, 41 is threadedly attached to the shank body proper 5 ll with their axes or lines of discharge 9. q being generally tangential of the rotor portion 43 of the carrier l8. Fluid under pressure will pass from the shank passageway 39 through the nozzles from where it willact upon the concave 10 faces of the blades 42, 43 to impart its velocity energy to the rotor and produce its turning. These blade faces will also guide the fluid to the exit portions of the blades, during which passage a reversal of the fluid will occur to produce a reactive thrust upon the guiding face of each blade to turn the rotor in the proper direction. The blades are formed around the entire circumference of the rotor so that continuous tuming eflort is applied by the fluid issuing from the nozzles; while a plurality of nozzles is used to multiply the horsepower developable by this turbine bit.

Part of the fluid exhausting from the blades is employed to keep the rollers 25 free from cuttings. Alternate blades 43 are preferably formed so as to deflect the fluid jets in two planes. Each 1 of these blades is formed with a median splitter 44 which will direct part of the fluid outwardly from the rotor and another portion of the fluid ,3!) inwardly through an opening 45 and guide groove 45a communicating with the carrier slot I, in which a cutter rotates. This latter exhausting stream will act upon the cutter teeth or discs to clean them of any adhering matter so that their .36 I formation penetration efllciency is maintained at a maximum. This exhausting fluid is also directed against the cutter teeth or discs in such manner as to produce rotation of the cutter and insure that all of its teeth are clean. The exhaust .4 stream is preferably directed to rotate the cutter in the same sense as is producedby its reaction a with .the formation to eliminate any sudden shocks or Jars on the cutters as they move into formation contact while the carrier or wheel rotates on its main bearing. I Although alternate blades 43 have been shown with splitters 44 to deflect the streams intwo directions, it is to be understood that if deemed expedient-all of the blades, or any other number, I can be thus shaped. It is to be noted that in addition to producing a cleaning action on the cutters, the dividing ofthe fluid streams to pursue two paths in opposite directions produces the wheels, which will decrease the axial thrust loads that the main ball bearings 29 must transmit, and consequently leads to their increased effective life.

shaping the exit 41a of each nozzle 4| to conform closely to the periphery of the rotor blades 42, 4 3. Interference between the jets leaving the nozzles is minimized by placing their respective lines of action 17, q in diflerent planes, which will also distribute any erosive wear on different parts of the turbine blades. As will be clear from Figure 1, the exit portions a of the nozzles are I inclinedto the carrieraxis to conform closely to the beveled periphery 46 of the rotor blades, '70 which beveling is necessitated by the need for providing the necessary clearance between the rotor and the curved bottom of the hole.

It will be noted further that there is no erosive wear due tothe action of the fluid jets on the "I tudinally of the cutters, its tangential turning component being relatively small so as to avoid excessive rotation of the cutters While they are in their upper positions and out of formation contact. The, provision of a separate rotor 40, besides preventing this-erosive wear on the roller cutters also produces a bit in which the blades can churn the fluid and cuttings at the bottom of the hole, creating a turbulent efiect that will insure removal of the cuttings from the hole bottom and their conveyance to the surface of the bore.

The instant invention has a further advantage over prior constructions since a greater torque and horsepower can be developed for the same size drilling bit by reason of a greater turning radius with which the fluid streams act upon the rotor blades.

.When in operation, the carrier It will be rotated by the action of the fluid stream, producing rotation of the cutters 25 by virtue of their contact with the formation. However, although the rolling of the cutters on the formation will effect its removal, it will also tend to produce a groove of semi-circular longitudinal section substantially equal in length to the roller cutters. For the purpose of insuring that afull gauge hole will be produced, the string of drill pipe (not shown) and the shank it attached thereto are also rotated so that the cutters 25 assume an infinite' number of planes of rotation to produce a corresponding number of semi-circular grooves, all combining to produce a hemispherical hole bottom of the proper radius. Rotation of the string of drill pipe will also prevent its freezing in the rotation of said carrier with respect to said shank.

2. A drill bit including a shank, a carrier rotatably carried by said shank, a plurality of cutters rotatably carried by said carrier, a fluid rotor on said carrier, and means on said shank externally of said carrier for discharging fluid upon said rotor to produce rotation of said carrier with respect to said shank.

3. A drill bit including a shank, a carrier rotatably carried by said shank, a. plurality of 'cutters rotatably carried by said carrier, a fluid rotor having turbine blades on said carrier, and an external nozzle on said shank adjacent said rotor for directing a fluid stream .against said blades to produce rotation of said carrier with respect to said shank.

4. A drill bit including a shank, a carrier rotatably carried by said shank, a plurality of cutters rotatably carried by said carrier,'a plurality of blades on a side of said carrier, and an external nozzle on said shank adjacent said blades for directing a fluid stream thereagainst to produce rotation of said carrier with respect to said shank.

5. A drill bit including a shank, a carrier ro tatably carried by said shank, a plurality of cutters rotatably carried by said carrier and circumferentially arranged, therearound, a plurality of blades circumferentially arranged around said carrier to one side of said cutters, and a nozzle on said shank adjacent said blades for directing a fluid stream thereagainst to produce rotation of said carrier with respect to said shank.

6. A drill bit including a shank, a carrier rotatably carried by said shank, a plurality of cutters rotatably carried by said carrier and circumferentially arranged therearound, a plurality of blades circumferentially arranged around said carrier to one side of said cutters, and a nozzle on said shank adjacent said blades for directing a fluid stream substantially tangentially thereagainst to produce rotation of said carrier with respect to said shank.

7. A drill bit including a shank, a carrier rotatably carriedby said shank, a plurality of cute ters rotatably carried by said carrier, a plurality of circumferentially arranged blades on said carrier, and a nozzle on said shank adjacent said blades for directing a fluid stream thereagainst to produce rotation of the carrier with respect to said shank, said blades being shaped to guide the fluid in generally radial and axial directions.

8. A drill bit including a shank, a carrier rotatably carriedby said shank, a plurality of cut ters rotatably carried by said carrier, a plurality of circumferentially arranged blades on said carrier, and a nozzle on said shank adjacent said blades for directing a fluid stream thereagainst to produce rotation of the carrierwith respect to said shank, said blades being shaped to guide the fluid in a generally axial direction.

9. A drill bit as defined in claim 8, said blades guiding said fluid outwardly from said carrier. I

10. A drill bit as defined in claim 8, said blades guiding said fluid inwardly to said cutters.

11. A drill bit including a shank, a carrier rotatably carried by said shank, a plurality of cutters rotatably carried by said carrier, a plurality of blades on said carrier, a nozzle on said shank adjacent said blades for directing a fluid stream thereagainst to producerotation of the carrier with respect to said shank, and means for, exhausting fluid from said blades onto said cutters. 12. A drill bit including a shank, a carrier rotatably carried by said shank, a plurality of cut-' ters rotatably carried by said carrier, a plurality of blades circumferentially arranged around said carrier to one side of said cutters, a nozzle on said shank adjacent said blades for directing a fluid stream thereagainst to produce rotation of the carrier with respect to said shank, and openings in said carrier for guiding fluid .exhausting from said blades onto said cutters.

13. A drill bit as defined in claim 12, said openings guiding said exhaust fluid partially longitudinally of the cutters and partially tangentially thereof to turn the cutters in their proper rotational direction.

14. A drill bit including a shank, a carrier having a plurality of circumferential slots rotatably carried by said shank, a plurality of cutters r0- tatably carried in said slots by said carrier, a plurality of blades circumferentially arranged around said carrier to one side of said cutters, a nozzle on'said shank adjacent said blades for directing a fluid stream thereagainst to produce rotation of the carrier with respect to said shank, and means defining openings in said carrier between said blades and slots for conducting exhaust fluid from said blades onto said cutters.

15. A drill bit including a shank, a carrier rotatably carried by said shank, a plurality of cutters rotatably carried by said carrier, a plurality of reaction blades circumferentially arranged around said carrier, and a nozzle on said shank adjacent said blades for directing a fluid stream thereagainst to produce rotation of the carrier with respect to said shank.

16. A drill bit including a shank, a c'arrierrotatably carried by said shank, a plurality of cutters rotatably carried by said carrier. a plurality of blades on said carrier, fluiddischarge means carried by said shank adjacent said blades for directing a fluid stream thereagainst, andsplitter means on said blades whereby the fluid is directed in opposite directions.

17. A drill bit including a shank, a carrier rotatably carried by said shank; a plurality of cutters rotatably carried by said carrier, fluid discharge means carried by said shank adjacent said blades for directing a fluid stream thereagainst, splitter means on alternate blades whereby the fluid is guided in opposite directions, and exhaust means for conducting said guided fluid onto said cutters.

18. A drill bit including a shank, a carrier havtween said blades and slots for conducting, 81-1 haust fluid from said blades ontosaid cutters.

19. A drill bit including a shank, cutter means rotatably carried by said shank, a plurality of blades on said means, fluid discharge means carried by said shank adjacent said blades for directing a fluid stream thereagainst, splitter means on alternate blades for guiding said fluid in opposite directions bothv toward and from said cutter'means, said other bladesguiding said fluid M away from said cutter means.

JOHN A. ZUBLIN. 

